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The ideal scenario is two or three weeks of Pick6 not being struck and reaching $250,000-$300,000 guaranteed, which creates interest in the entire meeting and often momentum for the following week.

"That is why we hope the handicapping changes in harness racing help a little bit," says Dore, who used to work in harness racing before joining the TAB. "If the changes to the concessions for young horses mean less of those $1.10 favourite 3-year-olds that will be a good thing.

"And we have found that Pick6 is a very good indicator of overall betting health in a code and I don't think the redhot favourites help."

That is why winter thoroughbred racing, while it can be a minefield for punters, actually lends itself to huge Pick6 jackpots.

The TAB regularly boosts Pick6 pools in all three codes in winter to try and drive interest at a time when racing struggles but Dore says they simply can't artificially boost pools to their old levels permanently.

"Sure, we would love to guarantee Pick6 every Friday night to $75,000 but pretty soon we wouldn't have any money left in the reserve fund."

Dore says that while the Place6 has its fans he does not see it is a major contributor to the dwindling Pick6 pools.

"I don't think anybody expects to get rich off Place6 like they can get a huge collect off Pick6 and it probably doesn't get that exciting until the last couple of legs.